Valentine Panic!
by Zephyr Overlord
Summary: The Knight Commanders are given a day off for the Valentine's Day festival. Of course, something is horribly wrong. Read and review.  Rated K  for mild language.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First of all,

I. HATE. WRITING. ROMANCE.

Oh well, might as well give it a shot…

In any case, enjoy – It's supposed to be a Valentine's Day special, but I really don't care anymore.

BTW: This is the 700th Maple Story Fan Fiction! Huzzah!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

February 14th.

On this day, all of Maple World gather to Amoria, the town of marriage, in a majestic festival of love, celebrating Valentine's Day – the day a man named Saint Valentine built Amoria to remember his dead wife. Every single Mapler abandons their rigorous training regimes and busy business schedules to spend some time with a loved one. Even monsters would gather in their nests and dens, resting with their brethren.

Meanwhile, in Erev…

A certain tanned Commander of Lightning was doing squats on the podium the rest were resting on. Oz was using her laptop and updating her blog, at the same time reading her fan/hate mails. Irina was fiddling with her bowstring, Mihail was reading the newspaper, and Ickart… was sleeping in his tree. As usual.

Mihail suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. "Hey… Tomorrow is Valentine's Day," he pointed out, lowering the newspaper he was reading. Irina looked up and sheathed her bow back into its quiver before standing up. Her emerald eyes blinked in realization. "Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed. "Gosh, I'd better go home to El Nath – my dad is probably waiting for me… We have to visit my mother's grave."

Oz snorted. "That is, if the Empress lets us off," she pointed out simply.

Hawkeye nodded enthusiastically and stopped doing his squats, wiping the sweat of his brow with his sleeve. "The Empress will most likely give us a speech, then Nineheart'll say…" Hawkeye strode to the middle of the podium, before saying "No leave!" in a very good imitation of Nineheart.

The Commander of Flames snorted again. "Look behind you, Hawkeye."

He turned around, and was greeted by the sight of the young Empress, arms folded, frowning. Next to her was the Royal Tactician, Nineheart. Hawkeye yelped in fear and clumsily stepped backwards. "Oh sh- Milady, I was-"

"_Yes, I'm sure you were kidding,"_ muttered Cygnus in a bored tone. Nineheart cleared his throat and adjusted his monocle, for lack of a better response. Irina and Oz giggled. Mihail facepalmed. Ickart… remained asleep.

The Empress smirked. "I have an important announcement to make, my dear knights," she said, trying to sound as pompous as possible. She turned to Nineheart, and the latter promptly produced a scroll for his pocket and handed it to Cygnus. The scroll was new and fresh – it appeared it had just been written on.

All four of the knights went closer to try and read the scroll. Ickart was still sleeping.

Cygnus read the contents of the scroll aloud.

"_Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. The knights have been faithful, guarding the island since their inception as commanders two months ago. I propose that they be let off to enjoy the festival in Amoria tomorrow – they deserve a rest. By Athena Pierce."_

"Why the hell would Athena write to you?" asked Hawkeye.

"Shut up, there's more. _Dear Empress, I understand that you have recruited several Maplers to be your knights. Or may I say bodyguards? Haha. Anyway, I suggest that they be relieved of their duty for a day and sent to Amoria. Unarmed. Nothing can happen on Valentine's Day, right? Sincerely, Dances With Balrog._

"What the- Dances with Balrog too?" said a bewildered Oz.

"Why don't you all just shut up and listen to the announcement?" Ickart had woke up – actually, he had never been sleeping in the first place, it seemed.

"_Send your Knights to Amoria. It is 100% safe. I assure you nothing will happen tomorrow. Especially not a catastrophic event that could destroy Erev and tear the world asunder. Kyrin."_

"….Kyrin? I didn't even know that she even KNOWS how to write…" said Hawkeye, scratching the back of his head in thought.

Cygnus looked up. "Wait, there's another message…"

"_Empress, my prediction is that tomorrow will be a completely safe day, without any interference from the Black Wings. My predictions have always been 100% accurate, thus I suggest that you should leave Erev unguarded. From Grendel."_

"What about Dark Lord?" asked Hawkeye (un)helpfully.

Ickart mumbled something and closed his eyes again. "He wouldn't bother with such rubbish," he muttered.

Irina turned to Nineheart, her emerald eyes gleaming. "Will we get to go to the festival?" she asked hopefully.

"Please please please please please please please please please…." begged Hawkeye.

Oz stepped forward. "I would love to go to the festival, Empress," she added. Irina glared at her fiercely. "Er, I mean _we _would LOVE to attend the festival."

Mihail unsheathed his sword and randomly slashed it through the air, cleaving imaginary enemies in half. "If they want freedom, give them freedom," he said to Nineheart. "We've worked hard – we should all get a day of rest."

Hawkeye stroked his imaginary beard. "Hmmm… You two should get some rest too," he said. Cygnus's face lighted up. "Hey, that's an excellent suggestion!" she squealed. "Knights, you are officially dismissed!"

Ickart's eyes opened suddenly, and the Commander of Darkness nearly fell from his branch in surprise. Luckily, he managed to balance himself in time, merely causing the branch to shake. The other knights stared at him weirdly.

Nineheart's eyes widened in shock. "B-But, don't you think-"

"Never mind! Let's go prepare! I haven't been to a ball in ages!"

"-this letter is very suspi-"

"Zip your mouth and just enjoy yourself! The island will be fine!"

Laughing, the Empress grabbed the poor strategist's hand and ran off happily, leaving the knights alone to plan their activities during the festival.

"Wow, Hawkeye actually managed to convince someone," Oz smirked.

Irina shrugged. "The Empress mentioned a ball. Are we, like, going in pairs or something?"

Somehow, the sentence that the Commander of Wind had just uttered was strangely familiar to Oz, but she assumed that she had read that sentence somewhere. "Well, we should find partners for the ball, right? We can't go alone…"

Hawkeye's face lit up. "A date? Oh yeah, oh yeah…"

Irina smiled shyly. "Um, Mihail, I was thinking… You know, if you'd… errr.."

Mihail raised an eyebrow, trying not to blush, and failing miserably with every attempt. "Um… Yeah?"

Before the Commander of Wind could continue, however, Oz interrupted her. "Hey, Mihail! Go to the festival with me!" she asked, rather rudely.

"Hey! I- I asked him first!" Irina stammered. Leafy green eyes met fiery red ones, and electricity seemed to crackle in the air.

Hawkeye sighed. "Hoo boy…. Somehow, I think it would've been better if we weren't given permission to go to the festival, it would've been better…"

Deep within the Ant Tunnel, a sinister cackle emanated from one of the caves, scaring Evil Eyes and sending them scurrying away in fear.

"Heh heh heh… time to summon my secret weapon!" laughed a short man in a cloak. He clutched a straw marionette in his right hand, a summoning stone in his left. "Arise, fallen one of the past!"

There was a guttural noise, and the cave shook violently. Several stalactites wobbled threateningly above, almost snapping. Thankfully (for the strange man), they didn't. There was a bright flash of white light, and a man in chrome knight armor appeared in front of him. The knight was kneeling on the floor in a daze, appearing to be stunned by the light.

"What… was that?" the knight said to himself. His face was not visible, as the visor of his helmet was in the way. "I remember… I was in the Sharenian Ruins, then I…"

The short man beckoned. "Now, now, relax. You've just gone through a lot. Maybe you should rest a while, get your bearings–"

The knight stared at the puppet in his hand. "Who… are you?" he asked cautiously, fingering his mace, which was strapped to his back via a leather strap. "Are you one of those necromancers?" He gripped the handle of his weapon tightly, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

"Hah hah hah… Necromancer. You've quite a sense of humor, White Knight of Nightfall."

The White Knight hesitated. "How is it that you know my job and guild?" he questioned warily. His eyebrows creased into a frown. "What is your name?"

"Heh heh. I mean thee no harm. You do not need to know my name – however, you can call me Francis if you like. I summoned you to help me execute an important task."

"Important task?"

"Yes. You see, you are now in the future – I summoned you from the past to aid me in my endeavors." Francis stroked his puppet almost lovingly, and the puppet glowed briefly with red energy. "Some certain…_ people_ are wreaking havoc in today's world, and I need you to help me stop them."

"My help?" asked the White Knight. "Why, of all people, would you need _my _help?"

Francis laughed again. "An evil empress has taken over the Maple World. She has been trying to squish us out for ages – she is trying to secure her position as ruler of this world, and she will stop at nothing to destroy us, the resistance. I'm sure you are acquainted with the feeling of a tyrannical entity reigning over you, do you not?"

"Of course."

"Well, I need you to go to the empress's private island on a sabotage operation. I have already managed to get the guardians of the island to leave their posts by sending them a fake letter, posing as figures of authority. We will strike tomorrow."

The knight dipped his head. "If it is for a good cause… I will do it."

Francis smiled, a smile that was void of life and emotion. "Very well. Thank you for your assistance, knight – what is your name?"

The White Knight took off his helmet. "My name is Hyrien."

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Yeah, OtDOtS references!

Also, there is a easter egg in this chapter – Let's see if you can find it!

Hint - POKEMON


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Was gonna post this at 5 reviews, but I thought "What the hell, I might as well post this now since I won't be around during – oh screw that crap."

Anyways, enjoy the next chapter that this idiot laptop's useless spell-checker renders rubbish!

Laptop: *slap*

A/N: What was that for! Oh, and I realized Ickart I actually Ickhart. Sorry 'bout that. *resumes street brawl with incompetent laptop*

_

* * *

_

_All of Erev was asleep. The island was completely silent. Not even the native monsters were around – they were all in deep slumber. Meanwhile, in Mihail's quarters…_

The Commander of Light tossed and turned in his bed, unable to fall asleep. There were too many things on his mind – the Valentine's Day festival, of course.

Sighing, Mihail picked up the latest copy of his favourite manga, "Marauders", in a futile attempt to tire his restless brain out. Yet, as his eyes rapidly flew over the images in the book, the thoughts refused to leave his brain.

Oz, or Irina?

If he had a choice, he would definitely pick Irina, as the Commander of Wind was much more likeable than the foul-tempered Oz. Not to mention he was much prettier too – Mihail had always had a thing for archers. When he was a kid, he had a crush on Athena Pierce…

This train of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of knocking on the door. Mihail grunted in frustration and tossed the book he was reading onto the floor, next to the pile of armour he had taken off and his sword. The Commander of Light fell onto his bed, burying his face in his pillows as he tried to ignore the knocks on the door, which were getting more and more impatient by the second.

"Fine, Mihail. Don't blame me!"

There was a cracking sound, and the door fell open, revealing Hawkeye – still clad in his pajamas.

Mihail groaned. "Hawkeye, if you're looking for someone to annoy, go look for Ickhart," he muttered wearily. "I got things to worry about."

Hawkeye grinned. "No fun bothering that insomniac!" he replied, leaning against the broken doorframe. Mihail sighed. "That's the second door you've ruined this month, man." Mihail removed the pillows from his face. "What do you want?"

The Commander of Lightning's grin grew even wider, if that was even possible. "You said you had a problem, didn'tcha?" asked Hawkeye, smiling gleefully. "Need my help?"

_Well, if I had a problem, the last person I'd turn to for advice would be you, sparky. _Mihail shrugged. "Just leave me alone," was all the Commander of Light said before he collapsed back onto his bed.

"Aw, c'mon, blondie!" Hawkeye actually_ leapt _on Mihail. "Tell me! Tell me tell me tell – "

"All right, all right, now shut the hell up before I slash you in half." This instantly silenced the hyperactive Hawkeye, making his twiddle his thumbs in anticipation.

Slinking out from under Hawkeye, Mihail explained. "It's the ball, Sparky. Both Irina and Oz asked me to go with them to the ball tomorrow."

He could have sworn that Hawkeye flinched at the mention of Oz. "G-Go on," Hawkeye stammered, trying to regain his composure. "That's easy, right? Just go with either one of them. You're gonna rock the house with your awesome dancing – "

"That's where the problem resides, man. If I go with Irina, Oz'll fry my butt. But if I go with Oz…" He let that sentence hang.

Hawkeye's eyes twinkled. "Oooh, you like Irina, don't you?" he cheered, doing a little dance in his mind. "Which means you don't like Oz!"

Mihail wondered briefly why Hawkeye cared, before continuing. "It's rare that we get a day off, so I want to spend the day with someone special. But…" The Commander of Light stared blankly out of his bedroom window. "This is my dilemma, you see?"

The Commander of Lightning thought hard for about half a second (which, in Hawkeye terms, is a pretty long time) before responding "Just go with Irina. I'll handle Oz." He winked at Mihail.

Mihail wasn't so sure, though. "Truly?" he asked warily, unsure of whether or not to trust Hawkeye. "Are you sure?" Hawkeye merely nodded in reply, already forming a plan in his head.

"Believe me, we'll be having a lot of fun tomorrow." Hawkeye winked at Mihail again, before exiting his room, running off into the night.

Mihail pumped his fist into the air. Unexpectedly, Hawkeye had volunteered to solve his problem! He longed to call up Irina and tell her, but decided not to, as it was past midnight already. He decided to ask her to dance at the ball tomorrow, and leave the rest to Hawkeye.

Which left him with one last problem…

"Oy, Hawkeye! Come back! What about my door?"

* * *

_The next day…_

Mihail, Hawkeye, Irina and Oz gathered at the flying ship dock, each of them donning formal attire that Cygnus had instructed them to wear. Most of the residents of Erev, along with the Empress and Nineheart, had already left, and now, the four participating commanders were about to board the last ship. As they boarded the ship that would take them to Victoria Island, Oz asked Hawkeye a question. "Hey, where's Ickhart?" she cried. "Isn't he coming?"

"I'm here," murmured a voice from behind them. They whirled around in surprise, and spotted Ickhart perched lazily on an oak tree. "And I'm not coming."

"Why?" Hawkeye had already expected this, but still he wanted to know exactly why the Commander of Darkness wasn't coming.

Ickhart frowned from behind his mask. "I have my own reasons for not particularly liking Valentine's Day. I'm staying behind," was all he revealed to them.

Hawkeye shrugged. "Let's ignore that boy and enjoy ourselves," he stated with a hint of annoyance in his voice, before boarding the train. The rest of the commanders followed, glancing back at Ickhart occasionally. Mihail signaled to Kiriru, and the strange humanoid creature nodded in reply, and the ship began to move. First it drifted slowly through the wind, but it slowly picked up speed. Before long, the ship was soaring through the clouds, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter. Irina gazed over the side of the ship happily – the clouds were so close, she could touch them.

"Not a good idea to reach out, lest you fall into the depths of the ocean we're flying over," advised Kiriru. Irina stepped back and raised her palm, preparing to summon the winds to bring the clouds to her. "Oh, and no skills allowed too!"

Irina hesitated, then lowered her hand in embarrassment. Hawkeye snickered.

After about five minutes, they arrived at Victoria Island. Oz reached into her pocket to pay the fee – 1,000 mesos when Kiriru stopped her. "Today is Valentine's Day – I won't accept payment," smiled Kiriru. The Commander of Flames thanked him, and with a silent word, the four exited the Ship Station of Ellinia.

Oz smiled wryly as the others were taken aback by the lush greenery of the ancient forest. There was magic in the air – no one could deny it. "Let's go before the fairies get angry," she suggested. Without another word, they followed Oz as she leapt nimbly across the branches. Irina had some trouble with her long dress, but Mihail helped her by carrying her on his back. Oz's eyes flared up in irritation, but she held in her powers. She could easily burn down this forest with a single thought, but she didn't want the fairies to hate the humans any more than they did now.

A fairy flew towards them at high speed. She was as big as a 5-year old, and she had an enormous flower in her hand. "Dost thou wish to enter Amoria?" she asked, sparkling pixie dust floating around her as she hovered in the air.

"Yes," replied Oz, Without further ado, the fairy swung her flower in a wide arc, and the four commanders vanished, the only proof of them ever being there a trail of sapphire, ruby, and emerald stardust that was promptly absorbed by the magical tree.

_

* * *

_

Deep in Francis the Puppeteer's lair…

"Are you done yet?" asked Hyrien irritably. He had been sitting down since he had woke up in the exact same position as Francis drew intricate necromantic symbols all over his arms and legs with purple ink. According to the strange man that called himself Francis, he would need this to increase his strength and stand a chance against the enemy.

Francis frowned under the shadow of his hood. "Almost done, knight…" The puppeteer finished the necromantic drawings. "There, you're all set. Now, for the finishing touches…" He marked the base of his neck with a strange mark – the insignia of the Black Wings.

Hyrien stood up, brushing his brown shoulder-length hair out of his eyes. As he fitted his armour on, Francis told him about his objective.

_Head to the center of the island. A deity called the Divine Bird lays asleep there. It is this deity that sustains the magic that keeps the Empress in control over the world. Slay the deity, and restore peace to the world._

Francis opened a portal to Erev, the 'private island' of the tyrannical Empress.

"When will you send me back home to the past?" asked Hyrien as he stepped into the portal. He had outfitted himself in his armour – they hid the symbols quite nicely.

"After your purpose is fulfilled," promised the puppeteer with a crafty grin.

_But deep down, Hyrien suspected he was lying._

* * *

A/N: Whee, done! As always, review – I'll update it once I get enough reviews. *grin*

Laptop: *whack*

Easter egg: Pokemon, yet again.

Inform me of any errors in grammar/spelling - this computer has both a lousy spelling/grammar-checker and a weird S key.


	3. Chapter 3

Was planning to release it on February 14th, but then I can't be online on that day, so I'm posting it a day earlier. Good for you guys, I guess.

WARNING: This chapter was written on SNSD overdose. GEEGEEGEEGEEGEE!

Ickhart rested in the shadows of the tree overlooking the Erev Station, eyes open only a crack. He hid within the cloak of darkness, Dark Sight, blending into his surroundings perfectly. Even if Irina was around, she probably wouldn't be able to see him.

The Commander of Darkness yawned. As he closed his eyes to sleep, his ears picked up a faint noise – it sounded like chrome metal boots on a gravel road. _I thought Mihail left already? _thought Ickhart irritably, opening his eyes and turning to the source of the sound. A lone White Knight wielding a golden mace was walking towards the centre of the island. He had dark brown hair that poked out of his visored helmet and fell onto his shoulders, and his hazel eyes were serious and set, as if he had a task to accomplish. He wore gleaming white armour, yet… something about him reeked of darkness, something that disgusted even Ickhart.

_That man seems dangerous, _murmured a voice within Ickhart. _Don't you think it would be best if we stop him?_

_No, Umbra,_ responded Ickhart, placing his palm on the crystal that was strapped to his chest. It looked like any ordinary crystal, but within the purple ore resided a powerful guardian sprite, given to them when they first became the knights of Cygnus. Ickhart's own sprite was named Umbra, after the shadows that it controlled. The Commander of Darkness frowned (although no one could see him) and folded his arms in thought. _Although, I think we should follow him in case he attempts anything stupid. The island _is _deserted, Umbra._

The guardian sprite chuckled. _Very well, Ickhart._

Ickhart nodded and leapt from his perch. Not a single leaf rustled as he descended, and when he did hit the ground, there was only a soft thud. Ickhart decloaked, exiting his shroud of invisibility. "Haste," he muttered. The air around his feet swirled around his being, and he instantly felt more power being channeled to his legs. He silently re-entered Dark Sight and slowly approached the White Knight from behind.

Although his footsteps were barely audible, the White Knight appeared to be able to sense his presence. "Who's there?" he barked, whirling around. Ickhart immediately ceased breathing, staying as still as possible to avoid detection. If the White Knight managed to get word out that the Commander of Darkness was stalking him, half of the Maple World would be jeering at him. It would be hilarious.

Not that he laughed a lot, anyway.

Ickhart finally breathed out as the White Knight walked away and out of earshot. _That's a relief, _Umbra rumbled. _You nearly failed the mission._

_WHAT mission? _retorted Ickhart. The Sprite of Darkness had a habit of nostalgic flashbacks and turning everything into a 'mission'. _You're becoming worse and worse every day, Umbra._

Ickhart could feel the crystal thrumming lightly. _Hmph. Suit yourself, Iscariot._

_I am no longer Iscariot of Kerning City, Umbra. I have abandoned that name. I am now only Ickhart, a lawless, lowly, honourless rogue._

Umbra was now vibrating violently. _Snap out of your reverie, moron. If you're done thinking about how awesome an emo you are, I suggest we catch up with the White Knight._

The Commander of Darkness would have blushed, if it wasn't for the fact that he was completely invisible. He apologized to the sprite mentally, and went after the knight, leaving no trace of him ever being there.

_Meanwhile, in Amoria…_

"_Ow, sweet!"_ cried Hawkeye in delight as he practically leapt on the buffet table. "This place is amazing! Noodles, _unagi_, red bean soup, ice creams, soda pops, rare candies… wait, _rare candies?_"

Oz sighed and folded her arms in annoyance. Mihail and Irina were already at the ball, and she was stuck here with Hawkeye. "We're here for the dance, Hawk – and why did you ask me to follow you?" she asked. She had no plans on letting the Commander of Light and Wind dance together. After five minutes of watching Hawkeye stuff his face, she finally lost her patience and grabbed the Commander of Lightning by the cape, dragging him off to the ballroom despite his protests.

In the ballroom, Mihail and Irina were waiting for the musicians to begin playing their instruments. Mihail twiddled his thumbs idly, while Irina played with her green hair.

_Just pop the question already! _urged a voice in Mihail's mind. The pendant he was wearing, and always wore, surged with golden, untamed energy. Mihail absentmindedly fingered the yellow crystal, feeling its power being infused throughout his being. The guardian sprite Sol resided in this crystal.

_Alright, I will, Sol! _Mihail replied impatiently. Before he could think of anything else, however, Irina turned to him, smiling shyly. "Anything… you wanted to ask me?" she said, hands behind her back.

"Uh, yeah…" Mihail scratched the back of his head. "I was going to–"

"Hey, Irina!"

Both of them turned to the source of the voice. A woman dressed in elvish royal attire, with golden hair that fell over pointy ears, held in place with a circlet…

Irina nearly gasped, but caught herself in time. "A-Athena! Mistress Athena!"

Athena Pierce, leader of the Henesys archers, beamed at the both of them. "Oh. I see you two are dating!" She laughed heartily. "Wait till your father hears this, Irina! He'll flip with joy!"

The Commander of Wind blushed in embarrassment. "No, it's not that way," she muttered, red-faced. Mihail decided to save her the trouble of finding a polite subject and said "Thanks for the letter, Athena."

Athena raised an eyebrow. "What letter?"

Warning bells immediately began ringing in both of the commander's heads. "Didn't you and Master Dances, Kyrin and Grendel send us a letter to let us off from Erev?"

Athena shook her head. "We never did that," she said worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

Mihail didn't give her a straight answer. "Listen, Mistress Athena," he said seriously. "There's no time to explain. Can you keep Lady Cygnus and the Strategist safe? Erev is in danger, and we need to return- "

At that very moment, a very flustered Oz and a slightly agitated Hawkeye arrived on the scene. "Sorry, Mihail- Hawkeye was- He was eating, so I-" She noticed Athena Pierce staring at her curiously. "Oh, hi, Athena…"

Irina turned to Oz, emerald eyes filled with worry. "Oz, it was a trick – the instructors never sent us any letter. We need to get back to Erev."

Oz glared at her, a gaze that said _Why should I listen to you?_

Hawkeye spluttered. "What? This ain't right, dudes!"

Athena immediately assumed the role of tactician. "I'll stay here and guard the guests. You guys hurry to Ellinia Station and board the ship!"

All four commanders nodded in reply. Oz muttered a spell under her breath and summoned a Mystic Door. "No need for a ship," she smirked.

Meanwhile, in Erev, Ickhart was following the mysterious knight. The stranger had already sensed his presence, and was much more wary of his surroundings. Ickhart took care not to expose himself to sunlight, as the rays of the sun would reveal him. _Why is Erev so darned sunny? _he thought, narrowly stepping past a beam of light.

_It appears the knight is headed for the Divine Bird, Ickhart. _Umbra was getting irritated by Ickhart's lack of action, and thrummed impatiently.

The Commander of Darkness finally decided to take action. He uncloaked from Dark Sight, and struck.

"_SHADOW WEB!"_

The White Knight whirled around and swung his mace in a wide arc. The Shadow Web Ickhart casted was deflected in another direction. Ickhart's eyes were wide open and incredulous – he even took off his mask to confirm that he wasn't seeing things. No warrior he had ever seen had the ability to deflect a surprise attack from him – he doubted even Mihail had the reflexes to pull off such a feat.

_By the Goddess… what is he?_

"You finally reveal yourself, scourge of Victoria Island!" cried the White Knight! "_I am Hyrien, White Knight of Nightfall, and I shall erase Victoria Island of your tyranny!_"

_What is this man talking about? _thought Ickhart incredulously.

Umbra chuckled. _Someone is terribly misinformed._

Hyrien raised his mace, now crackling with golden energy. The sheer force of the power harnessed by him was astonishing – the pavement was beginning to disintegrate under the extreme pressure caused by the energy.

His eyes glowed golden as he smashed the mace down.

"_HEAVEN'S HAMMER!_"

Sorry for Caps Lock abuse. I was gonna type the whole thing up, but my parents want me to stop. Well, gotta go.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I apologize for the year-long wait. I procrastinated way too long. It's Valentine's Day again, so here you go.

* * *

"_HEAVEN'S HAMMER!"_

Ickhart's irritation turned into pure frustration. _How can he use fourth job techniques? He is but a mere third jobber!_

_Perhaps he is one of the heroes of old, Ickhart. _Umbra spoke as Ickhart narrowly dodged the damage radius of the attack. Even so, the shockwave was strong enough to throw him off his feet, despite having the best balance of the Knights of Cygnus.

"Heroes of old?" Ickhart said out loud. The White Knight – Hyrien looked up, eyes seething with fury. His mace lit up with a bright yellow glow. "Divine Charge!" commanded the White Knight as the glow grew even more intense. The Commander of Darkness frowned. _What the… How can he use so many skills? It is beyond the ability of any modern adventurer!_

Hyrien charged at Ickhart, shouting a battle cry as he surged forward. Ickhart, being a mid-range attacker, needed time and space to work – this knight's 'in your face' attitude was very troublesome. He focused his mana into his feet, and in a split second, leapt high into the air with a Flash Jump.

The White Knight stopped in his tracks, staring up as Ickhart soared into the air. Hyrien cursed. Warriors did not possess ranged attacks, and it was vital that he was able to effectively combat at long range when battling a long-range attacker.

_Well, no matter, _thought Hyrien. _I'll just get rid of the evil deity called the 'Divine Bird', then rid the world of this tyranny. Then I'll return to Pelinor, and we'll fell Caleix once and for all._

Ickhart was flying through the air, trying to get his bearings when he saw Hyrien running off in the direction of the Divine Bird, the slumbering bird that he had sworn to defend with his last drop of blood. _Oh, man. Time to protect that overgrown chicken again._

Entering Dark Sight, he landed perfectly on the pavement. He could feel Umbra thinking hard about who this mysterious knight was. He did 'introduce' himself, though. "His name was Hy… Hyrule? Hypot? What was it…?"

Umbra finally spoke up. _Hyrien. A White Knight from the guild Nightfall._

"Nightfall? But that guild is supposed to have- "

_Yes, I know. This is most distressing, Iscariot._

"Stop calling me that."

_Shut up. There are more important things at hand._

Ickhart sighed and raced towards the place where the Divine Bird lay slumbering, eyes closed yet always open.

* * *

Mihail, Irina, Oz and Hawkeye arrived in Erev through the magical passage of Mystic Door. The first three were looking around for any signs of battle, while Hawkeye was whining about being 'brutally handled'.

"Oh, _shut up,_ Hawkeye," snapped Oz, lighting a flame in her palm. "Or I'll toast you myself."

Hawkeye snorted. "I'd like to see you _try_," he sneered, electricity crackling over his knuckles. "Brat."

A vein popped in Oz's forehead. "WHY, YOU LITTLE-"

"_Enough!_" Irina was irritated by the fact that the two weren't focused at all on their mission – to protect Erev from any harm that might threaten it. "Let's split up and look for-"

_Boom._

In the distance, a flash of golden light lit up the sky, if only just for a second.

"There they are," murmured Mihail with a smile.

* * *

As Ickhart ran towards the center of Erev, he saw Hyrien chasing after him, mace in hand. _He's persistent,_ he thought uneasily. The Commander of Darkness subtly slipped an Ilbi into his palm in preparation for an attack.

"_AVENGER!"_

The Ilbi throwing star in his hand glowed red for a second, before it tripled in size by alchemy. It glowed again, this time white in colour, and the small spikes between the primary blades expanded too, forming an Avenger. Snarling, Ickhart flung the star with all his strength backwards at Hyrien.

Hyrien narrowed his eyes as the star whirred towards him. "Power Strike!" he commanded without ceasing his mad chase, swinging his mace at the incoming Avenger. The blunt weapon hit the Avenger with a ping, and the giant throwing star's direction was reversed, instead flying towards its master.

_Darn, if only the rest hadn't left for the festival…_Ickhart dodged past the Avenger and reversed direction, rushing at Hyrien, right palm enveloped in a mysterious purple aura…

"_Disorder!"_

Before Hyrien could react, Ickhart reached out and punched him in the chest. Hyrien coughed as air was forcefully removed from his lungs, and he fell backwards onto the ground.

"I…can't… move…!" the White Knight managed to spit out as he struggled to move his body. His muscles refused to move, against his will.

_Disorder… a weak skill unless used properly. Interrupting the mana flow in the body to stun an opponent for a short period…Well done, Ickhart. _Umbra applauded the Commander of Darkness as the latter sprinted towards where the Divine Bird lay, motionless and vulnerable.

Ickhart didn't reply. He could see the Divine Bird now, lying motionless as though in submission to an unseen force. However, Ickhart knew that the reason the Divine Bird couldn't move was because it was too busy concentrating on holding the Maple World together.

He spun on his heel and faced the path he had just taken, ready to kill Hyrien if he tried to even touch the Divine Bird. Already, he had six Steely throwing knives in both of his hands, three in each hand. His sensitive ears picked up footsteps behind him – and without even looking, he knew his comrades were here.

"You're late," Ickhart stated flatly.

They didn't respond – they were too busy looking for something to use as weapons. Mihail settled for a one-handed sword someone had dropped on the ground. Oz and Hawkeye decided to fight bare-handed, while Irina looked around frantically for a bow. She found a worn-out, rusty Composite Bow hidden in a tree – some archer must have left it here for a friend, then forgot about it. For arrows… well, that was what Soul Arrow was for.

"Ready?" asked Mihail.

"Yup."

"All set!"

"…"

"Let's start!"

They could already see Hyrien, blazing with a golden aura, his mace flickering with energy. His knight armour looked even more imposing when he was angry, and his eyes… they were filled with a silent determination.

Determined to bring them down.

Hawkeye was the first to attack. "Shark Wave!"

As he punched in Hyrien's direction, a green shark composed of electricity flowed out from his fist at incredible speed. Before anyone could even begin to wonder how he could shape electricity, another two sharks trailed out from his fists and towards Hyrien.

Mihail roared and dashed forward, his weak weapon gleaming in the sun. As he ran, the electric sharks reached Hyrien, jaws wide open and ready to deliver the shock of his life.

Hyrien twirled his mace, and it flashed brightly in response. "Power Guard!"

His mace was wreathed in holy fire, and Hyrien smashed it onto the ground. When the ground was hit, a barrier sprung up in front of him, just milliseconds before the sharks slammed into him. The barrier dissipated the energy of the first two sharks, but the third shark shattered the barrier and rushed at Hyrien, jaws open and ready to draw blood.

Grunting in exertion, Hyrien swung his mace upwards, hitting the shark square on its lower jaw. The shark fizzled away into nothing, green sparks flickering away.

Ickhart was already in front of him, palm wreathed in the green aura that indicated Disorder was about to be cast. Hyrien twisted his body and narrowly evaded the attack due to his quick reflexes, struggling to keep his balance with a heavy mace in hand. Ickhart smirked and leapt away in case of a counter-attack, which Hyrien failed to deliver.

An azure arrow hit the White Knight in the breastplate, sending him staggering backwards. Cursing as he was repeatedly attacked by throwing stars and arrows of wind and fire, he removed a weird oblong-shaped device from his belt and tossed it at the ground with all his strength. The device exploded with little force, but it released a huge cloud of smoke, which negated Ickhart, Irina and Oz's attempts to hit him with ranged attacks.

Unfazed, Hawkeye and Mihail rushed forward. Hawkeye, being the quicker of the two, rushed forward and started randomly punching. Most of his attacks only hit air, but a single fist managed to find its way to Hyrien's face.

"Gotcha!" exclaimed Hawkeye, grinning madly as he sent a barrage of blows towards the unseen opponent. He could hear Hyrien's cries of pain as his bare fists collided with enough force to instantly shatter a normal person's bones to dust. He heard a cracking sound as his right hook slammed right into Hyrien's lower jaw, sending the White Knight toppling backwards and out of the cloud of smoke.

Mihail managed to reach Hawkeye, panting in exertion. He wasn't as fast as Hawkeye – however wearing normal clothes instead of armour helped him to run slightly faster. With a grunt, he swung his sword in a horizontal arc…

_Clang. _The weapon hit with a dull noise, and Mihail saw why as the smoke cleared due to the force of two different powers colliding – Hyrien had managed to block the swing with his mace. With a grunt, he pushed Mihail back, catching the Soul Master by surprise – few Maplers were strong enough to overpower him.

"Who _are_ you…?" growled Hyrien, wiping away a line of blood from his mouth.

"We are the Knights of Cygnus!" declared Mihail, pointing his (rather disappointing) sword at the White Knight. "The defenders of the Maple World, and the only defence against the Black Wings!"

"_Black Wings…?_" Hyrien recalled Francis saying something about the Black Wings during his short stay in the puppeteer's den. "Aren't they… the ones who seek the removal of the tyrannical empress?"

Irina and Oz stepped up, along with Hawkeye and Ickhart. "Tyrannical?" gasped Irina with a shocked expression on her face. "No way! The Empress may be young, but she's the kindest person I've ever met!"

Hyrien frowned, dropping his mace to the floor and looking at his bare hands in disgust. "Huh…?" he murmured. _These people don't seem evil, but looks can be deceiving…_

The White Knight suddenly felt his wounds being healed up by magic, and looked at the sky in amazement – beautiful white feathers were falling from the sky like snow, calming everyone who saw them. Hyrien felt a laugh catch in his throat – it was so beautiful, like the snow of his time…

"Congratulations, buddy," laughed Hawkeye, apparently forgetting that he had just beaten the crap out of him a few moments ago. "It appears that old Benedict has decided to bless you."

"_Hawkeye! _Don't refer to the Divine Bird by that name!"

"What did I- OW! Oz, what the f- Yeow! Not you too, Irina!"

Hyrien felt himself smile despite himself. He now knew that they weren't enemies – not if they could befriend an enemy so easily. It reminded him of… of a guard from the king's castle he had kidnapped under Pelinor's orders. That guard had willingly given helpful information to him, to help his guild combat the king. He had learnt a valuable lesson that day – that not all enemies were evil, and that sometimes you had to choose between duty and justice. In this case, he chose to follow… _them. _They possessed the attitude of real knights, besides maybe the one in the black cloak (who was currently… _sulking _several metres away)

_**YOU WILL KILL THEM.**_

Hyrien gasped and clutched his head, swaying about screaming. There was a presence in his mind, and it was speaking to him – it was Francis's voice, he was certain – and the presence made his head feel like exploding…

_**I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO STRAY FROM OUR MISSION! WE… WE ARE THE BLACK WINGS! WE WILL NOT BE STOPPED!**_

He felt the hairs on his back raise suddenly, making his muscles spasm in pain. Hyrien shouted, _pleaded_ for help as the markings that Francis had painted on his body earlier began doing their job, snaking around and spreading to his entire body. He shrieked as his hand picked up his mace of their own accord: his fingers flexed themselves as though controlled by invisible puppet strings, and his screams were drowned out as his tongue suddenly ceased movement.

Ickhart was the first to notice the sudden change in Hyrien's behavior, and shouted out a warning to the others – but it was too late. Hyrien, unable to control his own body, struck out at Hawkeye, smashing his mace into the knight's back and sending him sprawling to the floor. Oz screamed as the pirate coughed blood onto the perfectly clean floor of Erev – "Oh, dear Goddess! You've made the floor dirty!"

_He got hit by a mace at terminal velocity in the chest and you're worried about the damned floor?_ thought Ickhart exasperatedly, his shadow beginning to twist and turn as though angered. With a cry of "_Vampire!", _a swarm of hell bats composed out of darkness emerged from his shadow and rushed towards Hyrien, chittering in rage. The bats grinned like cheshire cats, flying like daggers towards the rapidly advancing White Knight. Hyrien merely shrugged off the bats and sprinted forward, trying to whack Ickhart with his mace. Ickhart just barely dodged the attack: _Damn, looks like his speed has increased? What kind of witchcraft is he using?_

_It appears he has been possessed by the Black Wings, _replied Umbra with a deep, sorrowful voice. _Now, his destiny is to fade away once his possession is over, disappearing from this timeline and possibly altering history._

_I won't let that happen! _Ickhart threw a mental glare at Umbra as he vanished in a blur, reappearing behind Hyrien with a throwing knife in his hand. He whirled around and thrust the blade out, aiming to kill…

_No! _shouted Umbra with a sharp edge to its voice. _You'll kill him-_

Something collided with his gut. The Commander of Darkness had only a fraction of a second to comprehend what had happened before Hyrien's punch sent him flying, landing almost two dozen feet away in a heap. _What? Impossible…_

"Damn it!" Mihail shifted into a battle-ready stance, tightening his grip around the handle of the sword. _What happened to him? He was perfectly calm several moments ago!_

_I think he's being controlled by some unseen force, _replied a voice in his mind, a voice he recognized belonged to Sol, his guardian sprite. _You should get out of here, boy._

_Of all times for you to come and have a chat with me, Sol, _though Mihail wearily. His guardian sprite had been reluctant to lend him its powers, and was more of a hindrance than anything else – so far, Mihail had to rely on his own strength and skill for combat, unlike the other Commanders who could utilize the magic of their spirits.

_I think I should give you a hint on how to defeat him, _Sol added. _I think…_

Mihail ducked under a swing by Hyrien and scooted away from the other side. "Run, Rina!" he shouted. "Rina, take Ickhart and go! Oz, you get Hawkeye to a safe place!" Before he could say anymore, Hyrien's mace interrupted him and he was forced to block with his sword, the weak metal of its blade nearly bending and breaking under the power of Hyrien's far superior weapon.

"No!" cried Oz – were those tears in her eyes? – "I wanna stay and help!" The look in Irina's eyes suggested that the feeling was mutual, her bow still in her hands.

"Argh – _GO_!" Mihail nearly screamed. Irina and Oz ran over to their fallen comrades reluctantly and vanished in a bright blue flash, leaving Mihail alone with the now-glowing-dark-purple Hyrien. The Soul Master quickly put some distance between him and the White Knight, not wanting to get caught in a pre-emptive attack.

_Loneliness. _Mihail hated being lonely. His mother had died at a young age, as a result of his father's neglect – the man was too busy being a hero. Mihail once loathed his father, believing that power came at the price of hurting the ones around you: but now, his views towards warriors had changed, thanks to Irina.

_Irina…_Mihail's heart seemed to throb even harder as he thought about her. For only the second time in his life, he had wanted to strive to gain more power, if only because he wanted to protect her. He had only ever felt the need to protect someone else once before that, and it was for Oz, his childhood friend.

"_Help…"_

The Commander of Light noticed that Hyrien's movements were jerky, as though unable to move at will. _"It's not- me… I'm…being controlled-_" the White Knight moaned, unable to properly control his own tongue.

_Helplessness. _Another terrible feeling, that he had felt as he watched his mother die. He wanted power, so he would never have to experience this feeling again.

_Just like that Ickhart guy, aren't you? _mumbled Sol.

"No." Mihail gritted his teeth at the thought of the Commander of Darkness. "Ickhart pursues power to kill. I need power… the power to_ protect._"

He heard Sol chuckling in his mind. _Very well, child. Will you let me help you in this battle?_

"Anything." The Soul Master couldn't be bothered, really, but any little help would be appreciated. Sol was chuckling in amusement.

_Looks like you've fallen in love with that archer, boy. Now, let me bestow upon you the power of the Guardian Sprite of Light…_

Wisps of golden energy snaked around his body, and Mihail raised his glowing blade with a mighty cry – _"__**SOUL BLADE!**__"_

* * *

_I needed rescue… again._

_From… Oz._

_Damn it…my back. It hurts._

"Do you think he broke a rib?"

_That voice…It belongs to Oz._

"Hmm, I don't know…"

_Irina._

"Maybe if I do this…"

Hawkeye returned to full consciousness with a startled yelp as Oz kicked him in the ribs, clutching at his left side painfully. He felt a broken rib prod his organs and cried in pain, trying not to release a scream.

"Jeez, you really are a handful, aren't ya?"

The Commander of Lightning turned to look at the woman who had just woken him up. She was grinning evilly at him, with that fiery glint in her eye that she always seemed to have. Next to her was a perplexed looking Irina, clutching her scavenged bow tightly.

Hawkeye instinctually cracked a joke. "Cygnus is gonna be pissed that we messed up these expensive clothes…" he muttered with a grin despite his situation. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and was not surprised to see blood.

_Oz... _Hawkeye felt his face heat up all of a sudden, and groaned as a sudden spike of pain forced him to grab his ribs.

"Pervert," Oz muttered, turning around and walking back towards where Mihail was fighting the White Knight. The ex-pirate felt something in his chest, but dismissed it as a side-effect of the battle. _Ugh. That must have knocked something in my head..._

"Irina!" The Commander of Flame's voice was loud and piercing, making the green-haired archer flinch and turn to her. "What is it?" Irina replied with an eyebrow raised. Hawkeye already knew what would happen though – Oz was one of the smartest magicians in the world, what with the thousands of magic theorems she had memorized, and she was also a wise person: however, when it came to Mihail...

"I will assist Mihail," the sorceress said. Her voice was calm and collected, as though they were talking over a cup of tea. "Don't argue – you know I am the only one who can dispel the magic over Hyrien."

Hawkeye forced himself onto his feet with a grunt. "Let me go with you-"

"_No._" The single syllable felt like an arrow to his chest. "In this state, you'll be nothing more than a burden. You stay here and help Ickhart."

_As usual... I'm unable to help. _Hawkeye turned away from the magician, unable to meet her eyes out of his shame. _Not my family, not my friends._

_No one._

* * *

_Clang!_

Mihail skidded backwards, the force of Hyrien's attack too strong – it was all he could do to remain standing. With a curse, he ducked under a swing of the mace and roared "_Soul Rush!_"

The Commander of Light diverted all the spare mana he could to his feet, jumping twenty feet into the sky in a single bound.

"_SOUL DRIVER!"_

Swords composed out of pure light energy emerged from his sword, glowing with a radiant power. The blades swooped down at Hyrien, but the knight somehow managed to deflect all the hits perfectly with his mace, not even showing a single sign of hesitance. Even when Mihail dropped from the sky, swinging his sword down on him, the knight still single-handedly blocked his sword with a wide, evil grin.

"_Surprise!" _The voice that came out from Hyrien's mouth was not his.

"Damn you, puppeteer!" Mihail grunted, leaping back. _He's too strong! How do we defeat him...?_

_Damn it... If Oz were here, she'd know what to do..._

**"_Fire Pillar!"_**

Several rocks rose from the ground around Hyrien, glowing brighter with each passing second. Mihail could see the magical runes engraved on each and every one of them – he was no expert in arcane arts, but even he could tell that it was an explosive rune. And when something exploded, it had to be the work of –

The white knight disappeared in a pillar of flame, roaring in pain as a magician in red robes teleported to Mihail's side.

"Oz…" the warrior muttered, but the girl held up a hand to silence him.

"He's not gonna die from that," the Commander of Flame said without looking at him. She had a serious expression on her face, making Mihail gulp in fear. "The knight won't stay down for long – we have to send him back to the past."

_How? _thought the Commander of Light.

As though reading his mind, the Flame Wizard added, "I have an arte that can undo the effects of time magic. It will take some time to prepare though, and if I miss, I will be completely drained of energy. We can't just kill him outright. That would be playing into the puppeteer's hands."

"I'll distract him," Mihail said. "Go!" Before she could stop him, he was already rushing towards the white knight, intent on stopping him.

* * *

As Mihail clashed weapons again and again with the White Knight, the Commander of Flames was running through several procedures in her mind.

_The knight is from the past,_ she thought with a sigh. _That makes things complicated. I'll have to use a forbidden arte to send him back… but if I fail, he'll die, and history will be affected._

_So… yeah. There's no other way._

The sorceress was done in half a second.

"Meteor!" she shouted, lifting her arms to the sky. The sky darkened considerably, turning a dark crimson. The two warriors were forced to leap apart when an asteroid the size of a small car descended from the swirling red clouds, smashing into the ground.

_The Empress is not gonna like the money needed to repair this road… _"Meteor Shower!"

Several more meteors fell from the sky, each of them aimed at Hyrien. The knight looked truly terrified, and continued to struggle against the puppeteer's spell – however, the arte was not affected at all.

"Hearlgh!" the knight shrieked horribly, unable to control his tongue. "Wargh are you doing?"

Oz didn't respond – her attention was focused on the arte she was about to cast. _"Spirits of the past, guardians of the future…"_

Mihail blinked, before realizing what the flame sorceress was about to do. He quickly dashed towards Hyrien…

"_I summon thy gate of time! I beg of thee, send this mortal back to the timeline in which he belongs…"_

With a cry, the Commander of Light swung his fist out and knocked the stunned Hyrien to the ground and quickly Soul Rush-ed away, knowing what would happen.

_Oz… you've grown since our days in Perion._

"_Clock Spirit! Reach out your hand and open the portal! **REVERSE ALMAGEST!"**_

A portal quickly formed under Hyrien, blue bolts of lightning arcing over his body. He cried out in pain as the puppet arte over him vanished, allowing him to regain control over his body. A tired smile appeared on his face, his eyes closing shut.

_Pelinor, Yunira… Nightfall. I'm coming back…_

The last thing the knight saw before fading into unconsciousness was Mihail, smiling at him – bidding him goodbye.

* * *

"Hyrien!"

He found himself lying on the ground and tasted blood in his mouth. His lip was injured, he was sure of it. But why was it cut?

Suddenly, his back shot up, becoming ramrod straight. "Argh, this damn headache," he muttered. He would equate it to having his memory erased…

Hyrien realized that he must have fallen asleep when resting after training. His lips parted into a grin as he caught sight of his Spearwoman partner, Yunira, running towards him.

"Pelinor is looking for you," she panted. "He said he had some new plans…"

The White Knight smiled – it didn't matter if he was hurt or anything, as long as he was back with his friends.

_Back? Why do I have this feeling… that I haven't seen them in a while…?_

He was jerked out of his thoughts as the spearwoman grabbed his hand, pulling him up. As he walked with his friend, his worries slowly fell to the depths of his mind, buried under other hidden memories forever.

* * *

"Oh, this will cost a lot to fix…"

Cygnus was back in Erev, inspecting the damage. Nineheart looked on disapprovingly, adjusting his monocle in slight disgust. Their short vacation had been cut short when Athena Pierce had informed them of the presence of a mysterious aura over Erev, and they had rushed to the scene.

"I believe your leave lasts for another 4 hours," the strategist murmured to the chief knights standing guard. "Dismissed."

Without a word, they left – but not before noticing Ickhart was mysteriously gone.

* * *

"_Damn it… Damn it… Damn it!"_

Ickhart cursed his weakness. He had let his guard down! He had failed again! Now that useless excuse for a knight, Mihail, would ridicule him for falling to a third-jobber of all things! Even though it was a hero from the past…

_Don't be discouraged, Iscariot. _Umbra tried to comfort him, but the Night Walker wasn't listening. _Your rage is like a beacon to the darkness._

Before Ickhart could reply, a voice interrupted him. "Mr. Ickhart? You have a letter."

The Commander of Darkness looked down from his lofty perch atop a tree at a youth, carrying a bag filled with letters. The youth was holding an envelope in his hands, smiling warmly up at Ickhart. The Night Walker swiped the letter away before the postman could even blink, and within a second he was back in his tree.

"What the hell is th… oh."

_Happy Valentine's Day. Will you be my valentine?_

He read the message written on the pink card, and the tips of his mouth twitched before slowly turning into a smile. Umbra muttered something to himself, but Ickhart paid him no heed once he saw who the letter was from. For the first time since he became the Commander of the Night Walkers, he smiled.

* * *

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day!


End file.
